Everyday Magic
by BroomballKraken
Summary: Being able to laugh together with someone else was just as amazing and magical to Nowi as the illusionary dragon that sat next to her, and almost as amazing as the man who was making her laugh. Henry/Nowi


"C'mon Henry! Keep up!"

"He-he, I'm trying, short stuff!"

"Stop calling me that!"

"Sorry, short stuff!"

Nowi ran through the field, laughing as she startled clouds of butterflies from their hiding places when she passed through the tall grass. Henry was close behind her, his laughter joining with hers as he tried to catch up. The army had stopped for a break and she was grateful for the change of pace. Marching from place to place got dull after a while, and she missed being able to goof around without getting yelled at for disturbing others. She also missed being able to spend time with Henry.

Henry was an interesting and complex person. They were a lot alike, she had come to realize. They were both pretty laid-back on the surface and loved to have fun playing games together. They also had both experienced crushing loneliness and had luckily found companionship with each other. He also was very good at hiding his true self under a mask of happiness. She herself hid much of her true wisdom under a mask of immaturity and playfulness.

When they had first met, she had been shocked at how nonchalantly he had talked about being abandoned as a child. Nowi couldn't talk about her time alone without being hit with an overwhelming sadness, and she hadn't seen any trace of that hidden in Henry's expression when he talked about his past. She had concluded that he really didn't know how to express his sadness in any other way besides burying it under a mound of indifference and fake laughter. She hoped that maybe someday she would be able to help him express his more negative emotions in a healthy way without that mask of indifference hiding them.

For now, however, Nowi was content in spending as much time having fun with him as possible. She stopping running to catch her breath atop a hill, and she turned around as Henry finally caught up with her.

"Wow, Henry! Look at this view!" she exclaimed, her eyes gazing out at the valley below them. Flowers of all different shapes and colors dotted the field, and a range of snow-covered mountains grew up from the horizon.

"It's pretty amazing. I guess some things can stay beautiful in the midst of a bloody war." Henry said, the ever present smile on his face not really matching the context of what he was saying.

"I guess. I wish everything could stay this beautiful." Nowi said, sighing as she sat down in the soft grass. Henry sat down next to her and chuckled.

"A lot of other things don't get soiled by war. You're a good example of that." Henry said. Nowi looked at him, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked, tilting her head curiously.

"Well," he began, his smiling broadening and causing Nowi's heart to flutter slightly, "You've been alive for a very long time. You've lived through wars, loneliness, captivity. Any weak hearted person would be left broken and pessimistic. You are the exact opposite. You've risen above your hardships and remained a kind and beautiful person."

Nowi's jaw dropped at Henry's words, and he just laughed in response. She forgot sometimes that he hid some profound wisdom behind his mask. He may have a dark sense of humor, and some questionable morals, but he was actually a kind and smart person, and she decided that she wanted to help him come to terms with his emotions.

"Henry, thank you. You're a really good friend. You're my best friend. If...if you're ever feeling sad or lonely, I'll always be here for you to talk to." Nowi said. Henry watched her with intense, wide eyes, and she thought she saw a flash of emotion pass over his face, his ever-present smile wavering for the first time since she had met him. He quickly recovered, however, and he laughed like nothing weird had changed in him.

"Nya! You're a good friend to me too, Nowi! If you ever find someone that needs a bloody death, just let me know and I'll take care of them!" Henry said, laughing heartily.

Nowi pouted at him. "Jeez, why do you have to turn every conversation into something morbid, Henry? You're so weird." she said, rolling her eyes as he continued laughing. She was glad, however, that she was able to illicit some different reaction from him, however fleeting it was. She was hopeful that she would be able to do something to help him.

"Hey, Henry?" she asked. Henry stopped laughing and tilted his head at her, waiting for her to continue. "Could you conjure up that manakete illusion for me again?" Henry raised an eyebrow at her, and she thought she saw his smile waver again.

"Huh? But I thought you hated her?" he asked, confused.

"Um, well, I actually want to apologize for that. For calling her stupid. I let my emotions get the better of me. I appreciate that you went to the trouble of learning how to conjure her for me. That made me really happy." Nowi said, looking at the ground in shame. Her eyes widened when she felt Henry place his fingers under her chin and lift her head slowly so that he was looking back up at her.

"Sure thing, Nowi. I'd do anything you asked me to if it would make you smile." Henry said, his eyes bright as he smiled broadly. Nowi felt her face flush as he let go of her chin and pulled out a tome. He opened it and waved his hand over it. After a few moments, a transparent dragon rose out of the tome and started flying around above them.

"She's actually really cool, Henry. This is some impressive magic!" Nowi said, giggling as the dragon illusion came to rest beside her.

"Tee-hee, it was some fun magic to learn!" Henry said, grinning at her as she laughed. He was silent for a moment, before he continued. "You know, Nowi, you have a really sweet laugh. I hope I can continue to give you more reasons to laugh in the future!"

Nowi gawked at him as she felt her face grow hot. Was he flirting with her on purpose? No, that didn't seem likely. Henry probably didn't even know what flirting was, and he probably didn't know how to deal with the emotions that prompted someone to flirt knowingly. However, that didn't stop the butterflies from forming in Nowi's gut, and she wasn't sure how she felt about that yet.

"You're so weird, Henry." she said, rolling her eyes, but she couldn't help but smile at him.

"Nya! Maybe you're the weird one! You're hanging out with me!"

"Well, you're weirdness must be contagious or something."

"Tee-hee, maybe!"

They laughed and fell into a comfortable silence. Being able to laugh together with someone else was just as magical to Nowi as the illusionary dragon that sat next to her, and almost as amazing as the man who was making her laugh.


End file.
